For much of the pro-Israel community, former President Jimmy Carter, who died last week at age 100, presented a significant challenge. On the one hand, there were aspects of his life that were inspirational and impressive. On the other, his vocal anti-Israel bias — which became especially pronounced after his single presidential term — was deeply disturbing.
Carter’s story is well known. A born-again Southern Baptist and former peanut farmer who became the governor of Georgia, Carter cobbled together an improbable coalition of small-town and rural voters, white-collar and blue-collar voters, and significant support from minority communities to win election against the incumbent president Gerald Ford.
Carter’s presidential term had its share of successes both internationally and domestically. It also had some profound failures.
Carter played an outsized role in orchestrating the Camp David peace accords between Egypt and Israel. He delivered the SALT II arms control agreement, normalization of diplomatic and trade relations with China, and immigration reform. He made the principle of human rights a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, which helped pave the way for the unraveling of the Cold War in Eastern Europe and Russia.
On the domestic front, Carter’s administration deregulated the airline industry, which opened the opportunity of air travel to most Americans; regulated natural gas so that the country could work toward energy independence; expanded car safety by initiating efforts to require seatbelts and airbags; and raised concerns about climate change while encouraging investment in solar energy research. Carter’s enthusiasm for solar power led him to install solar water-heating panels on the roof of the White House West Wing, which were removed several years later by the Reagan administration.
During Carter’s tenure the country struggled with double-digit inflation, an affordability crisis, an energy crisis, the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, and a 444-day hostage crisis in Iran in which American diplomats were held captive.
In the years after his presidency, Carter devoted his time to philanthropic work. He promoted and, along with his late wife of 77 years, did very public carpentry work for Habitat for Humanity. He devoted time to international advancement of human rights, worked to help resolve international conflicts and championed campaigns on health issues, including efforts to wipe out Guinea worm disease. He also became increasingly critical of Israel.
Carter wrote dozens of books after leaving the presidency. In 2006 he wrote “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” which included a stinging characterization of Israel’s actions in the West Bank and Gaza. Three years later, he met with senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, during a trip to the region. And in the eyes of many, through his writings, speeches and public statements, Carter became an apologist for those devoted to Israel’s destruction and in the process helped legitimize efforts to delegitimize the Jewish state.
Carter supporters claim he was the most misunderstood president of the last century. His detractors are not so sure. But all agree he was a hardworking, intelligent, deeply religious, and decent man who lived a modest life following his presidency and sought to “do good” wherever he could.
